it have been--little bits of gravel? She
darted noiselessly to the window, pushed it open, and looked down. She
saw the upturned face of the Duke. She stepped back, trembling with
fury, staring around her. Inspiration came.

She thrust her head out again. "Are you there?" she whispered.

"Yes, yes. I knew you would come."

"Wait a moment, wait!"

The water-jug stood where she had left it, on the floor by the
wash-stand. It was almost full, rather heavy. She bore it steadily to
the window, and looked out.

"Come a little nearer!" she whispered.

The upturned and moonlit face obeyed her. She saw its lips forming the
word "Zuleika." She took careful aim.

Full on the face crashed the cascade of moonlit water, shooting out on
all sides like the petals of some great silver anemone.

She laughed shrilly as she leapt back, letting the empty jug roll over
on the carpet. Then she stood tense, crouching, her hands to her mouth,
her eyes askance, as much as to say "Now I've done it!" She listened
hard, holding her breath. In the stillness of the night was a faint
sound of dripping water, and presently of footsteps going away. Then
stillness unbroken.

XI

I said that I was Clio's servant. And I felt, when I said it, that you
looked at me dubiously, and murmured among yourselves.

Not that you doubted I was somewhat connected with Clio's household. The
lady after whom I have named this book is alive, and well known to some
of you personally, to all of you by repute. Nor had you finished my
first page before you guessed my theme to be that episode in her life
which caused so great a sensation among the newspaper-reading public a
few years ago. (It all seems but yesterday, does it not? They are still
vivid to us, those head-lines. We have hardly yet ceased to be edified
by the morals pointed in those leading articles.) And yet very soon you
found me behaving just like any novelist--reporting the exact words
that passed between the protagonists at private interviews--aye, and the
exact thoughts and emotions that were in their breasts. Little wonder
that you wondered! Let me make things clear to you.

I have my mistress' leave to do this. At first (for reasons which you
will presently understand) she demurred. But I pointed out to her that I
had been placed in a false position, and that until this were rectified
neither she nor I could reap the credit due to us.

Know, then, that for a long time Clio had been thor